From the South Town (http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/231sd2.htm):

Former Sox players who pitched under Contreras had complaints, ranging from excessive throwing that led to arm problems, to a negative attitude that hurt the confidence of young pitchers such as Kip Wells.

Wells, who was traded to Pittsburgh in a deal that brought Todd Ritchie to the South Side last offseason, was 20-21 with a 5.14 ERA under Contreras' tutelage. He is 10-6 with a 3.38 ERA for Pittsburgh this season.

On several occasions last year, Wells complained that there seemed to be a "a negative element" around everything he did.

Williams was asked if the failure to get Wells going was a factor in Contreras' downfall.

"I'd rather not get into that," Williams said. "No matter how I answer that, it will come out as disrespectful ... unless I said, 'No.' "

Mark Buehrle didn't do much to dispel the accusation that Contreras made Sox pitchers throw excessively.

"There might be something to it," Buehrle said Monday. "I know I haven't had any arm problems — knock on wood. From what I understand, our starters throw as much as other starters around the league do, but I've heard guys in the bullpen say that Nardi got them up (warming up) a bit too much.

"He'd call for a righty and lefty to start throwing, then sit them down, then get them back up, or (get) two new guys up. I don't know if that was just Nardi's call or Jerry's (manager Jerry Manuel). That I can't answer."

PaleHoseGeorge

07-23-2002, 10:35 AM

Here's the smoking gun:

"He'd call for a righty and lefty to start throwing, then sit them down, then get them back up, or (get) two new guys up. I don't know if that was just Nardi's call or Jerry's (manager Jerry Manuel). That I can't answer."

Since when does a pitching coach decide who gets warmed up in the bullpen? At most, the pitching coach tells the manager who is available. If a manager left that decision to the pitching coach, the manager would have no control over which reliever he could bring into the game.

Managers make the player moves; not pitching coaches. That is why they are managers. Duh...

LMAO! Buehrle isn't a very good liar. He knows its Manuel's fault. He unwittingly just told us so.

I like Buehrle. He says what he truly feels. I have no doubt he sincerely wishes he could pitch for the Cardinals. Who can blame him?